Overhead-track switch.



. G. A. OLSON. I OVERHEAD TRAGK'SWITGH. I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1911. 3 Patented July 30, 1912.

G. A. OLSON. OVERHEAD TRACK SWITCH. Arruoulon 1111111 111111128, 1911. 4,2 5 Patented July 30, 1912.

Ciel, x". a f gmwwj UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

oos'rn'v A. OLSON, or ALBERIjLEA, MINNESQTA.

OVERHEAD-TRACK SWITCH.

1 Application filed June 28 To all whom/it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GI'ISTAV A. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albert Lea, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead- Track Switches; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for'its object to provide an improved overhead track switch especially adapted for use in connection with litter T, carriers, but adapted,-nevertheless, for more general'use.

To the above ends, the invention consists of' thenovel devices and combinations 01" devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. j

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away showing the improved switch with a switch rail arranged for cooperation with a main line rail and two branch line rails; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a" vertical section on the line 50 m of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line w as of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line :0 as of Fig. 1; and Fig. (3 is a. detail in section taken approximately on the line 02 (13 of Fig. 1, some parts being removed and some being broken away.

The numeral 1 indicates a mainline rail which is supported by the. lower ends of hanger brackets 2 that are rigidly secured "at their upper ends by suitably supported over-head balms or bars 3. At the switch, the main rail 1 is cut away for sullicient distance to permit of the insertion of a switch rail st which, at one end, is pivoted or hinged to an adjacent section of the main rail at 5.

The numerals (l and 7 indicate the branch line rails which diverge from the main rail and are laterally spaced therefrom by a line in the same horizontal plane as the said inain rail and switch rail. These branch line rails l3 and T are stilll'ldl to the lower ends of hunger brackets h and t), the uppeu ends at which are suitably secured Io over head lJCltllP r bars i l and ii, re--|- .'ii\ 'ly.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

1911. Serial No. 635,801.

The converging ends of the socalled branch rails 6 and 7 are spaced fromt-he switch rail pivot 5 equal distances and the same distance as the length of the gap left in the main rail for the insertion of the switch rail 4. Preferably also, the converging ends of the branch rails 6 and 7 and the end of the laterally adjacent section of themain rail 1 are beveled or made wedge-shaped. At its ,free end, the switch rail 4 is provided ,with a short pivoted nose or supplemental section 12, the free end of which is beveled or made wedge-shaped and is so extended that it will engage with the beveled ends of the branch rails 6 and 7 and with later- Patented July so, 1912;

ally adjacent sections of the main rail 1.

This nose or supplemental section 12 is normally held-in the plane of the switch rail a, by opposing fiat springs 13 secured to opposite sides of the said switch rail.

, The free end of theswitch rail 4 is secured to the lower end of a hanger bracket 14, the upper end of which is secured to a sliding cross-head 15, which, in turn, is guided for horizontal oscillatory movements by a cross-head guide bar 16. This guide bar 16 is rigidly secured to the supporting beams 10 and 11 by suitable brackets 17 and 18, shown as cast integral, respectively, with the hanger brackets 2, 8 and 9. As

preferably constructed, the concave edge of the guide bar 16 is formed with a projecting flange 16, the curve of which is concentric The cross-head'15 has a groove:

that engages with the said flange 16? (see particularly Figs. 1 and 6). the guide bars 16 are provided Withcable guides shown as afforded by simple perforations 12). A switch actuating cable 20 having depending ends ,within easyreach from the ground. or lloor is passed through the guide perforations 19, and its intermediate portion is rigidlyattached by a staple 21 or other suitable means to the crosshead- 15. All of the hanger brackets 2, 8 and fl are lalerally ell-set from the rails supported thereby so that truck wheels of a litter carrier or olher traveler may freely run on-the said rails. v

As is evident, by pulling on the proper end o'l' the cable 20 the switch rails 4 may be moved into alineincnt with either of the branch rails. J or 7, or with the (to iiperating inlerinwlimle rail section to-wil, the extend ed section of the main track rail. Vlhen The ends ofthe switch rail is moved past th'e intermedinumber of intern'icdiate rails may be employed and the switch rail will overlap therewith when-set into alinement with any one thereof.

As a simple and efficient means for frictiq nally' holding the switch rail 4 in any one of its several positions, friction al clamps are applied to the ends of the guide bar 16. These frictional clamps are preferably in the form of-metal clamps 22 loosely attached at, one end to the said bar 16 with their free ends engaging-the cable. Thumb screws 23wojrk loosely through perforation in the clamps 22 and aregascrewed into the ends of the bars 16. Coil d springs 24 are compressed betwcenthe clamps 22, and the heads ofthe respective thumb screws 23. '-,As is evident, by adjustments of thethumb screws 23, any desired friction may be applied to the operating cable 20 by means of the clamps 22. These frictional clampsin.

practice, have been found suflicient when properly adjusted, to hold the switch rail 4; in any one of itssever'al operative positions.

The improved switch above described has been found highly serviceable in connection with litter carriers, but, as already indicated, is capable of'more general use.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a main track rail and a pivoted switch rail in connec tion therewith, of a' multiplicity of branch rails in approximately the same horizontal plane with their ends terminated equidistant from the pivotal support of the'sa-id switch rail with which the free end of said switch rail is adapted to be cooperatively alined, and the said switch rail, at it's free end, having a pivoted nose yieldingly held in an intermediate position and arranged to overlap with the ends of the said branch rails'and to yield and pass over the end of an intermediate branch rail.

2. The combination with'an overhead rail supporting structure having depending rail supporting brackets, of a main rail and a multiplicity of laterally spaced branch rails supported by the said depending brackets,a

pivoted switch railin connection with said main rail, a crosshead guide supported by the said overheadstructure and extcuded concentricto the proieclcd axis of the switch rail pivot, and a crosshead slidably mounted on said crosshead guide and having a dependingbracketsupporting the free-- end of said switch rail.

3. The-combination with an overhead rail" supportingstructure having dependingrai1 supporting brackets, of a main rail'and a multiplicity'of laterally spaced branch rails supported by the said depending brackets, r Y

a pivoted switch rail in connection with said switch rail pivot, a crosshead slidably mounted on'said crosshead guide and havin g a depending bracketsupporting the free ing its depending ends'extended' downward through guides locatedon opposite sides of the said crosshead.-

'so I end ofsaid switch rail,.and 'an operating -cable connected to sald crosshead, and hav- 4. The combination with an overheadra'il supporting structure having depending rail supporting brackets, of a main track rail and a multiplicity of laterally spaced'bran'ch rails supported by. the" said brackets, a

switch rail pivota-lly connectedto saidjmain .track rail and provided at its freeend with o a pivoted nose yieldinglyheld in aninter 'mediateposition and arranged to overlap and engage with the said branch rails, a

crosshead guide supported by said overhead structure and having'a guiding surface extended concentric to the projected. axis. of the switch rail pivot and having. atits ends, suitable cable guidesa' crosshead supported.

and guided by said 'crosshead guide and provided with a bracket attached. to and 'supportingthe free end of said switch rail,- -and an opcratin'gcable attached to said crosshead 'and "having its ends working downward through the cable guides on the "1 ends of the, saidcrosshead guide...

5. The combination with a main track rail and a pivoted switch rail in connection therewith, of a multiplicity ofbranchrails in approximately the same horizontal plane the pivotal support of the said switch rail, and which the. free end of. said switch rail is adapted to becooperatively alined, a

" withtheir ends terminated equidistant from Q Y cable connection for operating said switch" rail, and a' friction deviceJengageable with and for holding said'cableconncction.

6; The combination with an'overhea'd rail supporting structure having depending rail supporting brackets, of, a maln'track rail and a multiplicity of laterally spaced branch rails supported by the said brackets, a switch rail .pivotally connected to said main track rail'and provided at its free end with a pivoted nose'yieldingly held in an intermediate position and arranged to overlap and engage with the said branch rails, I

a rrosshead guide supported by said over head structure and having a guiding surface extended concentric to theprojected axis ofthe switch rail pivot and having, at its ends,- suitable cable guides, a crosshead supported and guided by said crosshead guide and provided with a bracket attached to and supporting the free end of said switchrail, an operating cable attached to said-crosshead and having its ends working downward through the cable guides on the ends of the said crosshead guide, and adjustable frictional devices applied to the said operating cable for frictionally holding the switch rail in its different operative positions.

7. The combination with a main track rail and a pivoted switch rail in connection therewith, of branch rails in approximately the same horizontal plane with their ends terminated approximatelyequidistant from 20 the pivotal support of the said switch rail, and frictional means for holding the free end of said switch rail cooperatively ali-ned with the ends of said branch rails.-

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 5' in presence of two witnesses. p

' GUSTAV A. OLSON. Witnesses: v

F. D. MER HANT, HARM D. KILGoRE. 

